More than 600 eucalyptus trees in the Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest are set to get cut for the development of the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR).
Story so far: About 100 m of the eight-lane wide PRR is supposed to cut through the Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest. As per an RTI reply, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will only cut down 631 trees. But this will have to be verified against the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
- There are also plans of turning the protected forest into a park, in the likeness of Cubbon Park.
Public reaction: The general consensus says that the PRR should be planned around the reserve forest as it is a protected area.
- The idea of turning it into a park has also been lampooned by environmentalists as it can harm the natural ecosystem.
Why it matters: It takes around 25 years before we can start reaping the ecological benefits of a tree. Now, these 500-year-old protected trees are getting the axe because of a project that can well be diverted around it.
(Image credits: Screenshot from a YouTube video of The Fitrush channel)